Escape from Alcatraz (1979) - A San Francisco Cinema Classic

"The prisoners count the hours, the bulls count the prisoners, and the king bulls count the counts."

Director

Don Siegal

Cast
Clint Eastwood - Frank Morris
Patrick McGoohan - Warden Arthur Dollison
Fred Ward - John Anglin
Jack Thibeau - Clarence Anglin
Larry Hankin - Charley Butts
Frank Ronzio - Litmus
Roberts Blossom - Doc
Paul Benjamin - English

While several inmates have attempted to escape Alcatraz Maximum Security Federal Prison in the San Francisco Bay, a year before Alcatraz closed, three prisoners stand out among the others primarily for their elaborate plan to get themselves off the rock. 

Frank Morris, along with brothers John and Clarence Anglin famously escaped from Alcatraz in June, 1962. 

And frankly, I personally think at least one of them, if not all, made it to shore.

Since the three escaped together on the night of June 12, if they all died while swimming in the frigid San Francisco Bay, I would think at least one body would have been discovered. No remains were found.

In a 2022 episode of "Expedition Unknown" covering the escape, host Josh Gates suggests and explores the possibility that the prisoners not only made it to the mainland from Alcatraz, but they also fled the U.S. to the jungles of Brazil where they remained in hiding for years. 

Of course, the episode makes it sound plausible as it presents evidence to suggest such. And maybe they did make it to Brazil. Either way, I think they survived despite the FBI's report claiming the contrary. 

As for the 1979 movie, "Escape from Alcatraz," starring Clint Eastwood and directed by Don Siegel, the film is rather accurate, at least as far as the depiction of the escape. 

The movie starts with criminal Frank Morris (Eastwood) being taken to Alcatraz Maximum Security Prison on a rainy San Francisco night. He's sent to "the Rock" after having escaped from other penitentiaries. 

"Alcatraz was built to keep all the rotten eggs in one basket, and I was specially chosen to make sure that the stink from the basket does not escape. Since I've been warden, a few people have tried to escape. Most of them have been recaptured; those that haven't have been killed or drowned in the bay. No one has ever escaped from Alcatraz. And no one ever will," Warden Arthur Dollison (Patrick McGoohan) tells Morris upon their introduction. 

Little does the warden know, or maybe he knows full well, that Morris has already started preparing his escape right away beginning with his swiping the warden's nail clippers off his desk. 

Clint Eastwood as Frank Morris in "Escape from Alcatraz."

Morris quickly becomes acquainted with other inmates, ultimately to assess how they can benefit him. Still, he sticks close to a few. Doc (Roberts Blossom) is an old-timer on the rock who spends his hard time painting. Doc includes a chrysanthemum in each painting as a symbol of something within that not even the warden can take away. 

During a cell inspection, the warden discovers a painting of himself among Doc's other paintings. As a result, he takes Doc's painting privileges away. This sends Doc over the edge to the point of self-harm. 

Morris also befriends a young new inmate named Charley Butts (Larry Hankin) and an older inmate who calls himself Litmus (Frank Ronzio). Litmus is a man that knows how to get things. 

Morris learns how things work on the Rock thanks to a black inmate called English (Paul Benjamin). He doesn't care for white inmates but respects Morris's determination to break out. 

Morris makes enemies with an inmate, Wolf, who's imprisoned for rape. After Wolf tries to stab Morris with a knife, they're both sent to isolation cells. 

Two brothers named John and Clarence Anglin (Fred Ward) and (Jack Thibeau) show up at Alcatraz for bank robbery. They know Morris from a previous prison sentence and quickly start talking about getting out early. 

The Anglins and Morris, along with Charley Butts, come up with a detailed plan to escape. The back cell walls are weaker than the other two walls. Morris spends his cell time chipping away around the weak air vent which leads to a space behind the cells for piping which the guards don't inspect. The space extends up to the ceiling. They would create papier-mâché masks with flesh colored paint and hair taken from the prison barber shop to fool the guards into thinking they're sleeping in bed while the criminals make their way to the roof during the night hours. They also make a raft out of raincoats and rubber cement to get across the Bay. 

The Anglins and Morris manage to get out of their cells. However, Charley Butts, can't. So, they have to leave without him. 

And the rest, obviously, is history. 

The reenacted story of how the three inmates prepared their escape, carried it out, and whether or not they made it to shore, is the most intriguing part of the movie. The lead-up initially strikes me as mildly paced. Morris has nothing but time. 

The movie doesn't just focus on Morris's escape preparations. It also depicts prison life on the rock. Part of this is necessary as the drive for Frank Morris to work as hard and methodically as he did to escape the "unescapable" Alcatraz. But that depiction is done as realistically as possible to the point of slight monotony. In a way, it's a brilliant method in storytelling. Otherwise, it gives the movie a slow feeling. 

I happen to think it's well paced. I would understand if others thought it's a slow movie. The drab grey stone walls, faded blue prison garb, and dreary downtrodden demeanor of the inmates certainly doesn't help. But, it's prison. And it's not just prison, it's "the rock!" 

Anyways, the characters are memorable. Each inmate carries a different perspective of time on Alcatraz such as the seclusion, the weight of unending observation and punishment, institutionalization, and the taunting and tantalizing city of San Francisco within eyesight of the inmates, but yet so far. Freedom is a few bricks, some fencing, and a dangerous body of water away. The movie depicts this story with careful consideration. 

It takes its time as characters are introduced and develop, and prison time ticks its way towards the movie's namesake. 

Director Don Siegel has directed some other well-made movies including "Dirty Harry" also starring Clint Eastwood, which also takes place in San Francisco. He also directed "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," and another prison movie, "Riot in Cell Block 11." Siegal has a talent for creating tension and gripping scenes in his movies. His directing talent shines within "Escape from Alcatraz." 

This film is accurate as far as the escape is concerned.  

It's not an action packed, guns blazing movie. It stays true to the feel of how that escape went down. It's a fascinating movie in the truest meaning of the word. 

Summer Rental (1985)

"It's three bedrooms and it's on the beach. That's all I know."

Director

Carl Reiner

Cast

John Candy - Jack Chester
Karen Austin - Sandy Chester
Kerri Green - Jennifer Chester
Joey Lawrence - Bobby Chester
Richard Crenna - Al Pellet
Rip Torn - Richard Scully
Richard Herd - Angus MacLachlan

John Candy is one comedian I still miss. He died in 1994 at the age of 43 - the same age I'll be in just a few more months from now. 

I recall being shocked at the news of his death though I was 12 at the time. 

I have seen many a John Candy movie in my time, but "Summer Rental" is a flick I haven't seen until now. 

Though he appeared in several movies before this, "Summer Rental" is considered Candy's first starring role. 

It's a light comedy packed with a lot of talent. Not only does this movie star John Candy, it also has veteran actor Richard Crenna ("First Blood"), Kerri Green ("The Goonies," "Lucus"), a young Joey Lawrence, Rip Torn, and a brief scene with John Larroquette. 

Composer Alan Silvestri, who wrote music scores for some notable pictures such as "Back to the Future," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Forrest Gump," creates the music for this flick. And legendary comedian Carl Reiner sits in the director's chair. 

In this movie, Candy plays air traffic controller, Jack Chester, who is forced to take a much-needed paid vacation after he nearly causes a mid-air collision followed by an irate outburst all because a fly landed on his radar screen and blocked his view of a plane. 

The only alternative to taking a vacation is being fired from his job. 

So, Jack takes his wife Sandy (Karen Austin), their daughter, Jennifer (Kerri Green) and younger son, Bobby (Joey Lawrence), to the resort town of Citrus Cove, Fla., for some R & R. 

As expected, nothing goes right, beginning with dinner on their first night at a fancy seafood restaurant. 

Before they're even seated at a table, they get bumped in line thanks to a local sailing champion snob, Al Pellet (Richard Crenna). Not only does he cut in front of them, he also orders his entire table the rest of the fresh lobster which Jack was looking forward to having for dinner. 

After several mishaps, including the Chesters initially using the wrong house as their rental, the owner of their summer rental property dies and leaves the property to Al Pellet. 

He and Jack had a few previous unfortunate run-ins before, starting with that dinner. 

Jack offers Al a $1,000 check for another two weeks at the rental. But to spite Jack, Al rips up his check and tells him that he and his family have to get out in a few days.

John Candy in "Summer Rental."

Fed up, Jack challenges Al to a sailing race within the upcoming Citrus Cove Regatta. If Jack wins, Al has to return his check and let him stay in the house another two weeks rent-free. If Al wins, he can keep the $1,000 and he'll take his family back home. So, the race is on. Jack gets the help of local a local dive bar and restaurant owner, Richard Scully (Rip Torn) who has a pirate mentality. He teaches Jack how to sale and lets him use his barnacle covered boat which is in dire need to repairs. 

"Summer Rental" feels like a mix between "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983) with a little of Neil Simon's "The Out-of-Towners" (1970). 

As Candy told film critic Gene Siskel back in 1986, "We shot it too fast. We were trying to fill a time slot for Paramount." 

It shows! 

The editing is often haphazard and doesn't allow the comedy to progress well. For instance, in one scene, Jack is watching a golf game on TV while the rest of the family are at the movies. He lets the dog inside out of the rain. The dog turns and starts barking as if ordering Jack to go out and bring his bone for him out of the rain. 

Jack goes to fetch the dog's bone when the dog accidentally closes the door, locking Jack out in the wet. 

The audience gets a quick comedic reaction from Candy, and then the scene changes where Candy is back with his family obviously sometime later. These awkward cutaways occur several times in the movie. 

The movie has its funny moments, and John Candy's performance is top notch classic Candy. But it's not the funniest movie of his I've seen. That's mainly due to the poor pace of the movie right down to the sudden ending. 

"Summer Rental" is a modest comedy that's unfortunately put together too haphazardly. The jokes are there, and a lot of them work. The rest could play out memorably well if only the movie would take its time and let the jokes breath. Instead, it plows through the story at a weird pace. 

Nevertheless, I loved watching Candy. It's a significant role for him within comedy career. 

Sitting through "Summer Rental" made me want to revisit John Candy roles and introduce myself to those I have yet to see. 

 

The Lineup (1958) - A San Francisco Cinema Classic

"He pushed me too far! So, I pushed him just far enough."

Director 

Don Siegal

Cast
Eli Wallach - Dancer
Robert Keith - Julian
Warner Anderson - Ben Guthrie
Richard Jaeckel - Sandy McLain
Mary LaRoche - Dorothy Bradshaw
William Leslie - Larry Warner
Emile Meyer - Inspector Al Quine
Cheryl Callaway - Cindy Bradshaw

San Francisco is in my blood. I really believe that, though I was born and raised across the Bay in Oakland. 

My paternal lineage has a long history in San Francisco beginning sometime in the 1880s when my great-grandfather and some great-grand uncles immigrated to the city from Sweden. 

San Francisco's rich past appeals to me. I have some wonderful memories of the city. My grandmother lived in an apartment along Pacific Avenue until sometime during my teen years.

There were parts of the city that were my personal getaways up until I moved out of California in 2007. Walking along the Embarcadero was a primary go-to for me. North Beach, doubly so. Caffe Puccini on Columbus had the best cup of coffee I ever tasted. Seldom did I take BART over to the city and not make a stop in Caffe Puccini's. Unfortunately, it closed its doors a few years ago. 

It's heartbreaking to see what the city's pathetic leadership has done to this wonderful city. 

Anyways, among the city's gems are the classic movies filmed and set in San Francisco. A lot of these classics (those movies shot before 1980) are a unique look back into San Francisco from yesterday. They're a trip to watch. I have a short list of movies filmed and taking place in the San Fran that I plan to watch and comment on. I'm sticking with earlier films, again filmed before 1980, beginning with this hot and heavy film noir, "The Lineup" from 1958. 

In this movie, an international drug cartel smuggles in heroin by planting it on innocent American tourists traveling from Asia. The idea is that they can pass through customs without detection. Then the druggies can grab the heroin from these unsuspecting tourists anyway they can. 

The story begins along the Embarcadero as an American tourist docs in San Francisco. His bag is suddenly stolen just as he gets off the cruise ship. Nothing seems to have changed in the city since then. 

The thief, who happens to be a porter, tosses the bag in a cab. 

Eli Wallach in "The Lineup" (1958).

The cab driver speeds off and hits a cop. The cop still manages to open fire at the cab, hitting and killing the driver causing the car to crash.

As police investigate, they're made aware of this heroin smuggling operation. 

When another stash of heroin surreptitiously crosses the U.S. border, drug trafficker and killer, Dancer (Eli Wallach) accompanied by his henchman, Julian (Robert Keith) and an overly talkative driver, Sandy McLain (Richard Jaeckel) are sent to retrieve the stuff.

Dancer's contact instructs him to snag the drugs from the unsuspecting tourists, and then drop it off inside an antique ship binnacle at the museum inside the Sutro Baths. And the drop-off must be done before 4:05pm. 

Dancer, being the ruthless psycho killer he is, murders three people during his pursuit of the stash. 

He finally makes contact with the tourists who have no idea they're smuggling drugs - a mother named Dorothy Bradshaw (Mary LaRoche) and her young daughter, Cynthia (Cheryl Callaway).

Dancer makes contact with them at the Steinhart Aquarium. 

He puts on a friendly charming act with Dorothy and offers to drive her and Cynthia back to their hotel. 

The drugs are secretly stashed in an Asian doll Cynthia is fond over. 

However, Cynthia found the bag of powder underneath the doll's dress and used it all to powder the doll's face. 

Now, Dancer has nothing to drop off. He kidnaps Dorothy and Cynthia and forces them to accompany him to the Sutro Baths so they can back up his explanation as to where the drugs went. 

Instead of dropping off the bag, Dancer decides to explain to the pickup guy what happened to the drugs. 

The man's reaction isn't what Dancer was hoping for. All the man says is that no one ever sees him, and that now Dancer is "dead!"

Little does Dancer know that the San Francisco Police are on his tail. And the outcome of the tight situation he's in leads to a high-speed chase through San Francisco. 

This is a gritty film that doesn't hold back. There aren't too many movies from this era that depict heroin trafficking, kidnapping, child endangerment, and a psycho murderer. The movie feels ahead of its time for 1958. 

Scene in "The Lineup" filmed on the Embarcadero 
Freeway while under construction.

This is Eli Wallach's second film, and he puts on a ruthless and fantastic performance. I have yet to see a Wallach performance I don't like. He's an actor who never disappoints. His character, Dancer, has an intimidating presence on screen. So much so, the audience waits in anticipation to see Dancer get what's coming to him. Wallach carries the movie the moment he appears on screen. 

I recognize him best as Tuco in "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," as Don Altobello in "The Godfather III," and as Stratos in Disney's "The Moon-Spinners." 

The movie itself is intense from beginning to end. I mean that literally. It's an entertaining bold film noir that doesn't hold back in its depictions. It becomes more and more intense as the story progresses. 

What makes "The Lineup" a unique San Francisco movie is the array of filming locations. 

This movie was shot inside the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, as well as along the Embarcadero, the Cliff House, inside the Sutro Baths, and on the Embarcadero freeway while it was under construction. For those unaware, all that's left of the historic Sutro Baths are ruins as the building burned down in 1966. 

And the Embarcadero Freeway collapsed in the 1989 the Loma Prieta earthquake. 

"The Lineup" is a classic that deserves to be remembered. 

Director Don Siegal has directed some notable films such as "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." He also directed some San Francisco cinema classics - "Dirty Harry" and "Escape from Alcatraz" which both star Clint Eastwood, and both of which I plan to review in this category. 

"The Lineup" is a gem of a film that captures truly significant parts of San Francisco that exist only in history.